Aug 29 Top Sights in Central Saigon (HCMC)

What to do in Central Saigon?

Saigon, also known as Ho Chi Minh City, with its traffic and perpetual construction, may not be the most pedestrian-friendly city in the world, although there are plenty of places that are easy to get around on foot. Many of the city's most famous and iconic sights are located within a block of each other in the city center, clustered around the old historic city hall. Visit these top sights in all of Saigon!

Rex Hotel Downtown Saigon

Top sights in Central Saigon

Notre Dame Saigon Cathedral

Officially the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Saigon

Constructed by the French Cochinchina colonial government in 1863

The cathedral was constructed in a European Romanesque architectural style

In 1960, Pope John XXIII made the cathedral a basilica

The cathedral is famous for its beautiful stained glass windows

The statue of St. Mary is famous for an incident in 2007, when the statue supposedly was witnessed by hundreds shedding tears, drawing Catholics from all over the world to witness the sight

The interior of the cathedral is closed for massive renovations, which are projected to finish in 2020

Notre Dame Saigon Cathedral

the famous and mysterious weeping statue

Saigon Central Post Office

The Saigon Central Post Office was constructed in 1886 by the French colonial government

Though still an active post office, it is now one of the city's big tourist attractions

The post office is famous for its beautiful architecture and interior murals depicting the telegraph lines in southern Vietnam

The old bank of telegraphs has been replaced with modern ATMS

Saigon Central Post Office

mural of telegraph lines in Cochinchina

Saigon Opera House (Municipal Theater)

The 800 seat Saigon Opera House was built in 1897

From 1965 until 1975 the Opera House was used as a meeting hall for the lower house of the South Vietnamese (State of Vietnam) parliament

In 1995 the Opera House was restored for its original purpose

Today, you can buy tickets ONLINE for plays, concerts, operas, and cultural performances

the storied Saigon Opera House

Book Street

Nguyen Van Binh Street, better known as Book Street, is located just past the cathedral and post office

Book Street opened in 2016, and has become a paradise for book lovers

Dozens of bookshops line this pedestrian-only walking street

You can find many English books, both new and secondhand

Book Street

a shop on Book Street in Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City Hall

Also known as the Hôtel de Ville de Saïgon

The Ho Chi Minh City Hall was constructed by the French Indochina government in 1902

Today, the City Hall is home to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee

The HCMC City Hall is not open to the public, but is a great place to take some photographs

There is a large park and garden in front of the city hall where locals like to sit, relax, and take photographs

Visit at night to see this grand old building lit up with beautiful lights

Ho Chi Minh City Hall

The Propaganda Bistro

The Propaganda Bistro is one of many trendy restaurants located near the Ho Chi Minh City Hall

This cool and funky bistro is decorated with murals depicting the iconic Communist propaganda artwork from Vietnam that has now become part of the pop culture

The Propaganda Bistro boasts a large range of local Vietnamese craft beer!

Try a delicious banh mi sandwich

The prices are a bit higher than in other parts of the city, but the food is excellent